


Chameleons and Circuits

by ashurbadaktu



Series: Chameleons and Circuits [1]
Category: Doctor Who, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-10
Updated: 2011-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-22 11:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashurbadaktu/pseuds/ashurbadaktu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt on the kink meme: Charles is a TARDIS, and Erik is his thief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chameleons and Circuits

When Erik ran from the camp, from Schmidt, from the pain and the death and the terror, the worst part was the time when he didn't know where he was running to.

He ran until his feet were ragged, until his energy was spent. He realized awkwardly that he hadn't considered food or water; his body had realized that some hours earlier but he'd ignored it. All he had was a coin, one single coin, not enough even for bread if the coin was legal tender anymore. And there was no way in hell that he would spend it.

It wasn't so much a choice as the only thing he could do to collapse against the tree. He was surprised that the bark didn't scratch him, that the trunk seemed to almost cushion him as he fell.

He was even more surprised when the front of the 'tree' opened up like a door.

He startled back, scrambling away with the only energy he had. Then, seeing no reason not to, he carefully crawled forward to look inside.

It seemed like pure darkness within, but as his fingers curled around the doorway, lights began to come on. What was revealed was utterly alien, hexagonal panels on the walls and a great central control station at the middle. Pulling himself back up to his feet out of pure curiosity, he stumbled through, startling again as the door closed behind him.

The metal underneath his feet was cool, a relief after the woods, and it spoke to him, sang to him in a soothing voice.

 _Come in. Come with me. Let's run together._

Erik swallowed, his stomach rumbling angrily; he hadn't eaten in days. Almost like a response, the lights turned on to reveal a hallway and down at the end of it, what looked very much like a kitchen.

Erik let out a brief laugh, his first in years. It was hard and hollow and it hurt after almost a day without water, but there was delight in it. That made it better than anything.

 _There's plenty of food. Take what you like._

It took him a few tries, but the metal under his feet gave him strength and his power opened the door of what looked like one of the expensive appliances he'd seen in the shops before his family had been forced to flee. Inside, bright and fresh and miraculous, were fruits and vegetables and even some things he didn't know of. Bottles of what looked like water lined the door. He fell on it like a ravenous beast.

 _What do you want?_ he thought as hard as he could.

 _Take me. Take me away. Let's go._

Erik paused in his eating. _Go where?_ He didn't know where to go. He didn't even know how this place could go anywhere; it was a tree.

 _Anywhere. I'll show you._

Erik wondered if he'd gone insane, or if he'd died. Or if this was some sort of trap. Or it this was another of Schmidt's tests. Or--

 _Calm your mind. I understand, but you don't have to be afraid anymore._

That was patently ridiculous.

 _What do you want?_ because this couldn't come without a price.

 _I want you to come with me._

 _Why me?_

 _Because I'm tired of being alone.  I'm tired of you being alone. Because you don't know where you want to go other than away._

 _How is that a good thing?_

 _It means we can go where you need to go._

 _And where's that?_

The voice of the metal was silent then, which was almost better. Erik had never heard the metal talk so much before. But a moment later, he heard something shift inside the tree and he felt the ground beneath him start to shake. He'd never experienced an earthquake before, but as he stood, he realized that wasn't what this was at all.

The metal spoke again, and he could almost hear a smile.

 _Let's find out._


End file.
